Chaconne
Encyclopedia
A chaconne; (tʃakˈkɔna) is a type of musical composition popular in the baroque era when it was much used as a vehicle for variation
on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line (ground bass) which offered a compositional outline for variation, decoration, figuration and melodic invention. In this it closely resembles the Passacaglia
.
The ground bass, if there is one, may typically descend stepwise from the tonic
to the dominant
pitch of the scale, the harmonies given to the upper parts may emphasize the circle of fifths
or a derivative pattern thereof.
culture, having reputedly been introduced from the New World
, as a quick dance-song characterized by suggestive movements and mocking texts, by the early eighteenth century the chaconne had evolved into a slow triple meter
instrumental form.
One of the best known and most masterful and expressive examples of the chaconne is the final movement from the Violin Partita in D minor
by Johann Sebastian Bach
. This 256-measure chaconne takes a plaintive four-bar phrase through a continuous kaleidoscope
of musical expression in both major and minor modes
.
After the Baroque period
, the chaconne fell into decline during the 19th century, though the 32 Variations in C minor by Beethoven
suggest its continuing influence. However, the form saw a very substantial revival during the 20th century, with more than two dozen composers contributing examples (see below).
), while other theorists of the same period make the distinction the other way around. In actual usage in music history, the term "chaconne" has not been so clearly distinguished from passacaglia as regards the way the given piece of music is constructed, and "modern attempts to arrive at a clear distinction are arbitrary and historically unfounded." In fact, the two genres were sometimes combined in a single composition, as in the Cento partite sopra passacagli by Girolamo Frescobaldi
, and the first suite of Les Nations (1726) as well as in the Pièces de Violes (1728) by François Couperin
.
Frescobaldi
, who was probably the first composer to treat the chaconne and passacaglia comparatively, usually (but not always) sets the former in major key, with two compound triple-beat groups per variation, giving his chaconne a more propulsive forward motion than his passacaglia, which usually has four simple triple-beat groups per variation. Both are usually in triple meter
, begin on the second beat of the bar, and have a theme of four measures (or a close multiple thereof). (In more recent times the chaconne, like the passacaglia, need not be in 3/4 time.)
A chaconne's bass line—let alone the chords
involved—may not always be present in exactly the same manner, although the general outlines remain understood. (Handel's
"Chaconne" in G minor for keyboard has only the faintest relationship to the understood form.)
Variation (music)
In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these.-Variation form:...
on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line (ground bass) which offered a compositional outline for variation, decoration, figuration and melodic invention. In this it closely resembles the Passacaglia
Passacaglia
The passacaglia is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used by contemporary composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often, but not always, based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre....
.
The ground bass, if there is one, may typically descend stepwise from the tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
to the dominant
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
pitch of the scale, the harmonies given to the upper parts may emphasize the circle of fifths
Circle of fifths
In music theory, the circle of fifths shows the relationships among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys...
or a derivative pattern thereof.
History
Though it originally emerged during the late sixteenth century in SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
culture, having reputedly been introduced from the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, as a quick dance-song characterized by suggestive movements and mocking texts, by the early eighteenth century the chaconne had evolved into a slow triple meter
Triple metre
Triple metre is a musical metre characterized by a primary division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 or 9 in the upper figure of the time signature, with 3/4, 3/2, and 3/8 being the most common examples...
instrumental form.
One of the best known and most masterful and expressive examples of the chaconne is the final movement from the Violin Partita in D minor
Solo Violin Partita No. 2 (Bach)
The Partita in D minor for solo violin by Johann Sebastian Bach was written during the period 1717–1723 and one scholar, Professor Helga Thoene, suggests this partita, and especially its last movement, was a tombeau, written in memory of Bach's first wife, Maria Barbara Bach , though this...
by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. This 256-measure chaconne takes a plaintive four-bar phrase through a continuous kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope
A kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors...
of musical expression in both major and minor modes
Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
.
After the Baroque period
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, the chaconne fell into decline during the 19th century, though the 32 Variations in C minor by Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
suggest its continuing influence. However, the form saw a very substantial revival during the 20th century, with more than two dozen composers contributing examples (see below).
Chaconne and passacaglia
The chaconne has been understood by some nineteenth and early twentieth-century theorists—in a rather arbitrary way—to be a set of variations on a harmonic progression, as opposed to a set of variations on a melodic bass pattern (to which is likewise artificially assigned the term passacagliaPassacaglia
The passacaglia is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used by contemporary composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often, but not always, based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre....
), while other theorists of the same period make the distinction the other way around. In actual usage in music history, the term "chaconne" has not been so clearly distinguished from passacaglia as regards the way the given piece of music is constructed, and "modern attempts to arrive at a clear distinction are arbitrary and historically unfounded." In fact, the two genres were sometimes combined in a single composition, as in the Cento partite sopra passacagli by Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi was a musician from Ferrara, one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. A child prodigy, Frescobaldi studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara, but was influenced by a large number of composers, including Ascanio...
, and the first suite of Les Nations (1726) as well as in the Pièces de Violes (1728) by François Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
.
Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi was a musician from Ferrara, one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. A child prodigy, Frescobaldi studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara, but was influenced by a large number of composers, including Ascanio...
, who was probably the first composer to treat the chaconne and passacaglia comparatively, usually (but not always) sets the former in major key, with two compound triple-beat groups per variation, giving his chaconne a more propulsive forward motion than his passacaglia, which usually has four simple triple-beat groups per variation. Both are usually in triple meter
Triple metre
Triple metre is a musical metre characterized by a primary division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 or 9 in the upper figure of the time signature, with 3/4, 3/2, and 3/8 being the most common examples...
, begin on the second beat of the bar, and have a theme of four measures (or a close multiple thereof). (In more recent times the chaconne, like the passacaglia, need not be in 3/4 time.)
A chaconne's bass line—let alone the chords
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
involved—may not always be present in exactly the same manner, although the general outlines remain understood. (Handel's
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
"Chaconne" in G minor for keyboard has only the faintest relationship to the understood form.)
17th century
- Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Ciacona in D major, for violin and basso continuoFigured bassFigured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
- John BlowJohn BlowJohn Blow was an English Baroque composer and organist, appointed to Westminster Abbey in 1669. His pupils included William Croft, Jeremiah Clarke and Henry Purcell. In 1685 he was named a private musician to James II. His only stage composition, Venus and Adonis John Blow (baptised 23 February...
: Chaconne for harpsichord (1687) - Dieterich BuxtehudeDieterich BuxtehudeDieterich Buxtehude was a German-Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period. His organ works represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire and are frequently performed at recitals and in church services...
: Prelude, Fugue, and Chaconne in C Major (BuxWV 137), Chaconne in C minor (BuxWV 159), Chaconne in E minor (BuxWV 160); all for organ - Johann Kaspar KerllJohann Kaspar KerllJohann Kaspar Kerll was a German baroque composer and organist.Son of an organist, he showed outstanding musical abilities at an early age, and was taught by Giovanni Valentini, court Kapellmeister at Vienna. Kerll became one of the most acclaimed composers of his time, known both as a gifted...
: Ciacona, for organ or harpsichord - Jean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
: Chaconne from Phaëton (1683) - Jean-Baptiste Lully: Chaconne from Roland (1685)
- Marin MaraisMarin MaraisMarin Marais was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe for 6 months. He was hired as a musician in 1676 to the royal court of Versailles...
: Chaconne in G major, for two violas da gamba and continuo, no. 47 from the Première Livre de pièces de violes (1686–89) - Marin MaraisMarin MaraisMarin Marais was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe for 6 months. He was hired as a musician in 1676 to the royal court of Versailles...
: Chaconne, from Suite no. 1 in C major in the Pièces en trio pour les flûtes, violon, et dessus de violes (1692) - Marin MaraisMarin MaraisMarin Marais was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe for 6 months. He was hired as a musician in 1676 to the royal court of Versailles...
: Chaconne, from act 2 of the opera SéméléSéméléSémélé is an opera by Marin Marais first performed on April 9, 1709 by the Paris Opera at the Palais-Royal. The opera is in the form of a tragédie en musique with five acts and a prologue....
(1709)
- Claudio MonteverdiClaudio MonteverdiClaudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
: Zefiro Torna from Scherzi musicali cioè arie et madrigali (Venice, 1632) an early example of vocal music sung to a chaconne accompaniment. - Johann PachelbelJohann PachelbelJohann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
: six organ chaconnes (including Chaconne in D minorChaconne in D minor (Pachelbel)Chaconne in D minor is an organ chaconne by Johann Pachelbel. It is one of the six surviving chaconnes by the composer, and one of his best known organ works....
and Chaconne in F minorChaconne in F minor (Pachelbel)Chaconne in F minor is an organ chaconne by Johann Pachelbel. One of the six surviving chaconnes by the composer, it is one of his best known organ works....
), two chamber chaconnes in Musicalische ErgötzungMusicalische ErgötzungMusicalische Ergötzung is a collection of chamber music by Johann Pachelbel. Published during his lifetime, it contains six suites for two violins and basso continuo.... - Henry PurcellHenry PurcellHenry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
: Chacony for strings and continuo in G minor Z. 730 (1680) - Henry Purcell: Chaconne from The Fairy Queen (1692)
- Robert de ViseeRobert de ViséeRobert de Visée was a lutenist, guitarist, theorbist and viol player at the court of Louis XIV, as well as a singer, and composer for lute, theorbo and guitar.-Biography:...
: Chaconne in A minor for theorboTheorboA theorbo is a plucked string instrument. As a name, theorbo signifies a number of long-necked lutes with second pegboxes, such as the liuto attiorbato, the French théorbe des pièces, the English theorbo, the archlute, the German baroque lute, the angélique or angelica. The etymology of the name...
.
18th century
- Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
: "Chaconne" from Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin in D minor - Johann Sebastian Bach: "Meine Tage in dem Leide" chaconne from Nach dir, Herr, verlanget michNach dir, Herr, verlanget michNach dir, Herr, verlanget mich BWV 150 is an early Lutheran choral cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach composed for an unknown occasion. It is scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, choir and a small orchestra of two violins, bassoon obbligato, and basso continuo...
, BWV 150 (c.1707-08) - Joseph Bodin de BoismortierJoseph Bodin de BoismortierJoseph Bodin de Boismortier was a French baroque composer of instrumental music, cantatas, opéra-ballets, and vocal music...
: Neuf petites sonates et chaconne, for 2 cellos, op. 66 - Marc-Antoine CharpentierMarc-Antoine CharpentierMarc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
: Sans frayeur dans ce bois, H.467 for soprano and continuo - François CouperinFrançois CouperinFrançois Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
: "La Favorite, Chaconne a deux tems," Troisième ordre. - George Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
: "Chaconne" from SuiteSuiteIn music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
in G minorG minorG minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
for clavierClavierClavier is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006, Clavier had a total population of 4,172. The total area is 79.12 km² which gives a population density of approximately 53 inhabitants per km².... - George Frideric Handel: "Chacconne" from the Terpsichore prologue added to the second revision of the opera Il pastor fidoIl pastor fidoIl pastor fido is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was set to a libretto by Giacomo Rossi based on the famed and widely familiar pastoral poem of the same name by Giovanni Battista Guarini.-Performance history:...
, HWV 8c (rev. 1734) - George Frideric Handel: "Chacconne" from AlmiraAlmiraAlmira, Königin von Castilien or Der in Krohnen erlangte Glückswechsel, is George Frideric Handel's first opera.-Background:Handel came to the city of Hamburg in the summer of 1703 and played as a violinist in the theatre at the Gänsemarkt, the local market place...
- Jacques Morel: Chaconne in E minor, for flute, viola da gamba, and basso continuo
- Jean-Philippe Rameau: "L'hymen—Chaconne", Scene VI from Les fêtes d'HébéLes fêtes d'HébéLes fêtes d'Hébé, ou Les talents lyriques is an opéra-ballet in a prologue and three entrées by the French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. The libretto was written by Antoine Gautier de Montdorge...
(1739) - Tomaso Antonio VitaliTomaso Antonio VitaliTomaso Antonio Vitali was an Italian composer and violinist from Bologna, the eldest son of Giovanni Battista Vitali...
: Chaconne in G minor for Solo Violin (dubious authorship) - Sylvius Leopold WeissSylvius Leopold WeissSilvius Leopold Weiss was a German composer and lutenist.Born in Grottkau near Breslau, the son of Johann Jacob Weiss, also a lutenist, he served at courts in Breslau, Rome, and Dresden, where he died...
: Ciacona in G minor
19th century
- Johannes BrahmsJohannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98Symphony No. 4 (Brahms)The Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 by Johannes Brahms is the last of his symphonies. Brahms began working on the piece in 1884, just a year after completing his Symphony No...
, finale - Heinrich ReimannHeinrich ReimannProfessor Dr. phil. Heinrich Reimann , was a German musicologist, organist, and composer.Reimann was born in Rengersdorf, Silesia, and was a son of Ignaz Reimann, also a musician...
: Ciacona in F minor, op. 32, for organ
20th century
- John AdamsJohn Coolidge AdamsJohn Coolidge Adams is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer with strong roots in minimalism. His best-known works include Short Ride in a Fast Machine , On the Transmigration of Souls , a choral piece commemorating the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks , and Shaker...
: second movement "Chaconne: Body Through Which the Dream Flows" from Violin ConcertoViolin Concerto (John Adams)The Violin Concerto by the American composer John Adams was written in 1993. It was premiered in 1994 by Jorja Fleezanis with the Minnesota Orchestra. Fleezanis also collaborated with Adams in writing the violin solo....
(1993) - Malcolm ArnoldMalcolm ArnoldSir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
: second movement "Chaconne" from Recorder Sonatina, Op. 41 (1953) - Malcolm Arnold: second movement "Chaconne: Andante con moto" from Quintet For BrassBrass quintetA brass quintet is a five-piece musical ensemble composed of brass instruments. The most common instrumentation is two trumpets or cornets, one horn, one trombone or euphonium/baritone horn, and one tuba or bass trombone....
, Op. 73 (1961) - Béla BartókBéla BartókBéla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
: first movement, "Tempo di ciaccona" from the Sonata for violin soloSonata for Solo Violin (Bartók)The Sonata for Solo Violin Sz. 117, BB 124, is a sonata for unaccompanied violin composed by Béla Bartók. It was premiered by Yehudi Menuhin, to whom it was dedicated, in New York on 26 November, 1944.-Composition:...
(1944) - Howard BlakeHoward BlakeHoward Blake, OBE is an English composer , particularly noted for his film scores, although he is prolific in several fields of classical and light music...
: Chaconne (from Lifecycle, sequence of 24 piano solos) (1975) - Benjamin BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
: "Chacony", third movement of the String Quartet No. 2, in C (1946) - Benjamin Britten: "Ciaccona", fifth movement of the Cello SuiteCello Suites (Britten)The Cello Suites by Benjamin Britten are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental music that Britten wrote for and dedicated to Rostropovich, but Britten had earlier composed a cadenza for Joseph...
No. 2 (1971) - John CoriglianoJohn CoriglianoJohn Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
: The Red Violin (Chaconne) for violin and orchestra - Johann Nepomuk DavidJohann Nepomuk DavidJohann Nepomuk David was an Austrian composer.He began his musical career in the monastery of Sankt Florian, and was a composition student of Joseph Marx....
: Chaconne in A minor for organ (1933) - Johann Nepomuk David: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland: kleine Chaconne for organ
- Norman Dello JoioNorman Dello Joio- Life :He was born Nicodemo DeGioio in New York City to Italian immigrants. He began his musical career as organist and choir director at the Star of the Sea Church on City Island in New York at age 14. His father was an organist, pianist, and vocal coach and coached many opera stars from the...
: Variations, Chaconne, and Finale for orchestra - David DiamondDavid Diamond (composer)David Leo Diamond was an American composer of classical music.-Life and career:He was born in Rochester, New York and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music under Bernard Rogers, also receiving lessons from Roger Sessions in New York City and Nadia Boulanger in...
: Chaconne, for violin and piano (1951) - Cornelis DopperCornelis DopperCornelis 'Kees' Dopper was a Dutch composer, conductor and teacher.-Reputation:Dopper's reputation as a composer has suffered from the accusation of being 'too German' for much of his career, and still haunts him to this day...
: Ciaconna gotica (1920) - Marcel DupréMarcel DupréMarcel Dupré , was a French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue.-Biography:Marcel Dupré was born in Rouen . Born into a musical family, he was a child prodigy. His father Albert Dupré was organist in Rouen and a friend of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who built an organ in the family house when...
: Triptyque, op. 51 (Chaconne, Musette, Dithyrambe), for organ - Jean FrançaixJean FrançaixJean René Désiré Françaix was a French neoclassical composer, pianist, and orchestrator, known for his prolific output and vibrant style.-Life:...
: Chaconne for harp and string orchestra (1976) - Philip GlassPhilip GlassPhilip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
: Echorus for two violins and string orchestra (1995) - Philip Glass: Symphony No. 3, third, slow movement (1995)
- Philip Glass: Violin Concerto No. 1, second, slow movement (1987)
- Alexander GoehrAlexander GoehrAlexander Goehr is an English composer and academic.Goehr was born in Berlin in 1932, the son of the conductor and Schoenberg pupil Walter Goehr. In his early twenties he emerged as a central figure in the Manchester School of post-war British composers. In 1955–56 he joined Oliver Messiaen's...
: Chaconne, for organ (1985) - Sofia GubaidulinaSofia GubaidulinaSofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, is a Russian composer of half Russian, half Tatar ethnicity.Gubaidulina's music is marked by the use of unusual instrumental combinations...
: Chaconne, for piano (1962) - Hans Werner HenzeHans Werner HenzeHans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
: Il Vitalino raddoppiato: ciaccona per violino soloista e orchestra da camera (1977) - Heinz HolligerHeinz HolligerHeinz Holliger Heinz Holliger Heinz Holliger (born 21 May 1939 is a Swiss oboist, composer and conductor.-Biography:He was born in Langenthal, Switzerland, and began his musical education at the conservatories of Bern and Basel. He studied composition with Sándor Veress and Pierre Boulez...
: Chaconne for solo cello (1975) - Gustav HolstGustav HolstGustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
: "Chaconne" from First Suite in E-flat major for Military BandFirst Suite in Eb for Military BandThe "First Suite in E-flat for Military Band" is considered one of the cornerstone masterworks in the concert band repertoire. Officially premiered in 1920 at the Royal Military School of Music, the manuscript was originally completed in 1909 by British composer Gustav Holst...
(according to one writer, technically a passacaglia, but according to others, technically a chaconne) - Arthur HoneggerArthur HoneggerArthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
: Chaconne de l'impératrice, from the film music for Napoléon (1926–27) - Ernst KrenekErnst KrenekErnst Krenek was an Austrian of Czech origin and, from 1945, American composer. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including Music Here and Now , a study of Johannes Ockeghem , and Horizons Circled: Reflections on my Music...
: Toccata und Chaconne: über den Choral "Ja ich glaub an Jesum Christum", op. 13, for piano - György LigetiGyörgy LigetiGyörgy Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
: Hungarian Rock: Chaconne, for harpsichord - Frank MartinFrank Martin (composer)Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.-Childhood and youth:...
: Chaconne, for cello and piano (1931) - Carl NielsenCarl NielsenCarl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...
: ChaconneChaconne (Nielsen)Carl Nielsen's Chaconne, Op. 32, is among the composer's most frequently played compositions for piano.-Background:In a letter to his daughter Irmelin dated 19 December 1916, Nielsen, who was spending Christmas alone because of difficulties in his marriage with Anne Marie, wrote that he was...
, op. 32, for piano (1916–17) - Henri PousseurHenri PousseurHenri Pousseur was a Belgian composer.-Biography:Pousseur studied at the Academies of Music in Liège and in Brussels from 1947 to 1953. He was closely associated with Pierre Froidebise and André Souris...
: Chaconne for solo violin - Knudåge RiisagerKnudåge RiisagerKnudåge Riisager was a Danish composer.Knudåge Riisager was born in Estonia of Danish parents. His father Emil Riisager was an engineer, and the family returned to Denmark in 1900 when Knudåge was three years old.- Notable works :*Ballet music**Benzin op. 17 **Cocktails-Party op...
: Chaconne, op. 50, for orchestra - Poul RudersPoul RudersPoul Ruders is a Danish composer.Ruders trained as an organist, and studied orchestration with Karl Aage Rasmussen. Ruders's first compositions date from the mid-1960s...
: Chaconne for solo guitar - Franz SchmidtFranz SchmidtFranz Schmidt was an Austrian composer, cellist and pianist of Hungarian descent and origin.- Life :Schmidt was born in Pozsony , in the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . His father was half Hungarian and his mother entirely Hungarian...
: Chaconne in C minor, for organ. (1925) Arranged for orchestra (transposed to D minor) in 1931. - Reginald Smith BrindleReginald Smith BrindleReginald Smith Brindle was a British composer and writer.Smith Brindle began learning the piano at the age of six, and later took up the clarinet, saxophone and guitar . Under pressure from his parents, he began to study architecture...
: Chaconne and Interludes: (The Instruments of Peace III), for two guitars - Leo SowerbyLeo SowerbyLeo Sowerby , American composer and church musician, was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1946, and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid 20th century.-Biography:...
: Chaconne, for tuba and piano (1938) - Leo Sowerby: Canon, Chacony, & Fugue for organ (1948)
- David Van VactorDavid Van VactorDavid Van Vactor was an American composer of contemporary classical music.He was born in Plymouth, Indiana, and received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Northwestern University...
: Fantasia, Chaconne, and Allegro, for orchestra - Stefan WolpeStefan WolpeStefan Wolpe was a German-born composer.-Life:Wolpe was born in Berlin. He attended the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory from the age of fourteen, and the Berlin Hochschule für Musik in 1920-1921. He studied composition under Franz Schreker and was also a pupil of Ferruccio Busoni...
: Dance in Form of a Chaconne for piano (1941)
21st century
- Paulo GalvãoPaulo GalvãoPaulo Galvão - is a composer, lutenist, theorbist and guitarist, noted in particular for his compositions for 5-course baroque guitar published under the allonym "AdC"...
: Chacoinas (2) in A minor for baroque guitarBaroque guitarThe Baroque guitar is a guitar from the baroque era , an ancestor of the modern classical guitar. The term is also used for modern instruments made in the same style....
. - Jennifer HigdonJennifer HigdonJennifer Higdon is an American composer of classical music. Higdon has received many awards, including the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto and the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for her Percussion Concerto.-Biography:Higdon was born in Brooklyn,...
: second movement "Chaconni" from violin concertoViolin Concerto (Higdon)Jennifer Higdon's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was written in 2008. It was written for and premiered by violinist Hilary Hahn, and was awarded a 2010 Pulitzer Prize.-Structure:The concerto consists of three movements:# 1726# Chaconni...
(2008) - Krzysztof PendereckiKrzysztof PendereckiKrzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
: Ciaccona in memoria Giovanni Paolo II per archi (for string orchestra) from Polish RequiemPolish RequiemPolish Requiem is a large scale Requiem Mass for soloists, mixed choir and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki, originally composed between 1980 and 1984, revised and expanded in 1993, and expanded again in 2005 with the additional movement, Ciaccona...
(added in 2005). - Roman Turovsky: Chaconnes in C major, C minor and D minor for baroque luteLuteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
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